Biodegradable vs. Compostable - What’s the Difference?

Biodegradable and Compostable are two terms that get easily confused amongst the various terminologies used to describe different products. Read on below to find out how they differentiate.

What is Biodegradable?

When something is biodegradable, it means that it is capable of being decomposed naturally by bacteria or other natural processes over a range of time scales.

What is Compostable?

When something is compostable, it means that it is of natural, organic matter (like kitchen waste) that can break down into compost, which eventually turns into an organic material called humus. This can then be used to fertilise soil and provide the much needed nutrients for growing new plants.

Did you know?

Everything that is compostable is biodegradable, but not everything that is biodegradable is compostable! This is a common misconception of what biodegradable is and where we should dispose of certain items. Biodegradable items can take as little as 6 months, or as long as 1,000 years to break down. On the other hand, compostable waste is a smaller subset of biodegradable waste and takes a shorter time to break down.

What's the issue?

General waste goes into the rubbish bin, recycling goes into the recycling bin and compost goes into the compost bin or heap. But where do biodegradable things go? It seems like there isn’t an exact clear-cut answer on where to put them. As stated above, not all biodegradable products are compostable, so where do we put them? Some suggest that landfill waste is fine, yet others argue that biodegradable products will never be given the chance to biodegrade in this setting.

The confusion between biodegradable and compostable products and what to do with them is one of the reasons why there is such a strong emphasis to reduce, reuse, and recycle. If we participate in activities like upcycling and repairing and re-wearing our clothes, we will be helping the environment more than buying new, even from sustainable companies. However, for certain necessities - such as food, drinks and toiletries - look to purchase items with compostable and biodegradable packaging or make-up.

How to Dispose of our Tea

Our tea bags are fully compostable as they are made up of natural plant material (tea leaves) and wrapped in a fully compostable material called NeoSoilon - which is made from cellulose. You should dispose of them in your compost or food waste bins, but if you have neither of those they will also eventually break down in your landfill bin.

Meanwhile, our tea bags are packed in a material called NatureFlex, which is biodegradable and compostable too. Once again, we recommend that you dispose of it in your compost or food waste bin - but general waste will suffice if not!